Recognising achievement

I spent last night with Aretha Franklin, Sherpa Tenzing, Sherlock Holmes, Steve Redgrave, Bob Geldof and Marie Curie. Well, the Agency equivalents of them - winners, in fact of the FSA's first staff awards. There was some healthy cynicism from staff when we launched the scheme, and not too many groans when the different categories were given the quirky names listed above.

I've blogged in the past about my interest in organisational development, and the work I led to develop the FSA's vision of Safe Food and Healthy Eating for All. That's why I volunteered to be a judge. The awards were all about recognising teamwork (the Steve Redgraves), communication with a passion (the Arethas), motivation and leadership (the Bobs) and the best use of evidence and information (the Sherlocks).

It was a challenge to whittle down 119 fantastic entries to a shortlist of 18 and then choose winners in the six categories. I won't list them, but it's fair to say that sound science undepinned most of them.

My colleague Catherine Bowles (aka Bob Geldof), for instance, negotiated long and hard in Europe to ensure that changes to food hygiene legislation that came into force last year were risk-based and proportionate.

Similarly the marine biotoxin team (aka Sherlock Holmes), whose work to detect paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins can lead to the closure of shellfish beds, and so impact on people's livelihoods. Emotive stuff, so there's no room for 'second best' science and policy development that isn't evidence-based.

In fact, being reminded last night of some of the great work my colleagues do helped to prepare me for my first of today's appointments - an interview with a New Scientist journalist about my role here as Chief Scientist. The article's due out next month. I'll let you know when it appears.